Can handling machine



Oct. 20, 1959 J. N. PORTERFIELD 2,909,269

cm HANDLING MACHINE Filed Sept. 2, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INI ENTOR. JACK N PURTERF/ELD A 7' TORNEY Oct. 20, 1959 Filed Sept. 2, 1958 J. N. PORTERFIELD CAN HANDLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JACK N. PORTER/WELD 1959 J. N. PORTERFIELD 2,909,269

CAN HANDLING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 2, 195a INVENTOR. JACK N. PORTERF/ELD BY Mfihf I ATTORNEY z Fig. 1.

United States Patent Oflfice 2,909,269 Patented Oct. 20, 1959 International, Inc., Denver, (3010., a corporation of Colorado Application September z, 1958, Serial No. 758,294

' 8 Claims. (Cl. 198-31) This invention relates to can handling machines, and more particularly to a machine designed to deliver internally coated cans to an oven where the coating fumes are dissipated and the coating is dried. For this purpose it is necessary to maintain the open top internally coated cans in axially upright positions and to deliver them to a conveyor which carries them into and through the oven in upright positions.

The main object of my invention is to provide a machine adapted to receive internally coated open top cans from a conveyor or chute, in axially upright positions, and to deliver the cans, in batches arranged in a row, to a conveyor located in a horizontal plane below the bed of the machine, moving in a direction at right angles to the rows of cans, While maintaining the cans in said axially upright positions. c

A feature of my invention is the provision of an upper can receiving platform from which a row of cans is deposited in a batch upon a lower platform located between said upper platform and the oven conveyor, and means for maintaining the upright positions of the cans while they are being dropped from the upper .to the lower platform and from thence to the conveyor.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the drawings and the following specification.

In the drawings: i t

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a can. handling machine embodying my invention. 1

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken in the. plane of theline 22 of Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the machine as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the upper sliding platform on which cans are supported.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lower sliding platform to which cans are delivered from the upper platform.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the can dividers which are part of the machine, showing the tops of cans located between the dividers. j

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of lower platform. t

In that embodiment of the invention shownin the drawings, 10 indicates a supporting frame on which rests the machine bed 11. A motor 12 is operatively connected through suitable gearing 13, 14 and 15 (Fig. 1) to a sprocket 16 fixed on a cam shaft 17. The motor 12 is also operatively connected to a vertical dn've shaft 18 on which is fixed a sprocket 19. Thes'procket 19 drives an endless can conveyor chain 20 supported by said sprocket 19 and another sprocket 21 on idler shaft 22 located at the left hand side of the machine as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3. v

The can conveyor 20 is provided with equallyspaced apart cleats 23 throughout its length. The cleats 23 have opposite side walls which are curved in horizontal directions toward each other from theiconveyor chain 20 to the outer edges of said side walls as shownin Fig. 1.

Thus the proximate faces or side walls of two adjacent cleats 23 are complemental to thevertical walls of a round can 24. 1 The space between each pair of cleats 23 is designed to receive a can 24 and to move the can with the chain 20 when the latter is driven by the sprocket 19, as will be explained in the description of the operation of my machine.

Cans 24 may be fed to the conveyor chain 20 by various means such as a chute (not shown) whereon the cans slide downwardly by gravity in a single row, or may be moved by a screw 25 driven by any suitable means such as a motor 26 and gear 27. As shown in the drawings, the cans 24 are supported on a block chain 28 in axially upright positions, adjacent the inner side of the screw 25, and are moved by the screw to positions where they are engaged, one by one, by cleats 23 on the endless chain 20.

Cans 24 are moved by the conveyor 20 to an upper sliding platform shown detached in Fig. 4. The platform comprises a support29 for a batchof cans, in this embodiment eleven cans. The batch support 29 is rigidly connected to the forward end of a pair of arms 30 provided with forked free ends 31, and a recess 32 and side ribs 33 located between the ends of the arms 30. The forked ends 31 have mounted therein rollers 34 (Fig. 2) which serve as cam followers in engagement with the cams 35 fixed on the cam drive shaft 17. When the upper sliding platform is in its advanced or forward position as shown in Fig. 2, the forward edge of the batch support 29 contacts a guide'rail 36 for retaining cans on the support. I

For the purpose of delivering a batch of cans 24 from A the upper sliding platform 29 to an oven conveyor indicated in dotted lines 37 on Fig. 2 below the machine'of my invention, I have provided a lower platform designed to receive the cans as they are dropped in a batch from the upper support 29. One form of such lower platform is shown detached in Fig. 5. It comprises a can support 38 rigidly connected to a pair of arms 39 provided with recesses 40 near theirfree ends adapted to have pins 41 mounted therein was to extend across the recesses 40.

The two platforms 29, 38, are located so that the arms 30 register vertically'with the arms 39; A rocker arm 42 (Fig. 2) pivotally connects each of the upper platform arms 30 to one of the lower platform arms 39 by pivotally engaging the pins 41 on the lower arms and similar pins 43 on the upper platform arms. The rocker arms 42 are pivotally connected at 44 between their ends to a fixed bracket 45. A coiled spring 46 is attached at one of its ends to each rocker arm 42 and at' the opposite end to a fixed support 47 Between the upper'and lower platforms 29 and 38, a can divider bar 48 provided with spaced dividers 49 (Fig. 6) is fixedlymounted on supporting brackets 50. The bar 48 and dividers 49 are located beneath the batch support 29 and above the lower batch support 38 when the latter is in advanced position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The operation of the mechanism as shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive is as follows:

The motor 12 rotates the-shaft 18 and sprocket 19 counterclockwise and, thus causes'the endless conveyor chain 20 to move with the sprocket 19. The cleats 23 on the moving chain 20 engage cans 24 on the support 28 as they are moved by the screw 25 or by gravity into contact with the cleats. The cans are moved in a row from right to left, as viewed in Fig. 1, and when a predetaneously with the movement of the conveyor 20, the

cam shaft 17 has been rotated so that the surfaces 51 of the earns 35 have become engaged by the rollers 34 on sliding platform arms 30, permitting arms 30 of the upper sliding platform tornove to the retracted position under influence of the springs 46, whereby the rocker arms 42 are moved about the pivotal connections 44 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to a position wherein the lower end of the rocker arm is moved to the right and the upper end to the left, causing the arms 39 of the lower platform to move to the advanced or forward position, with can support 38 as shown in dotted lines.

This movement of the upper sliding platform to the left of Fig. 2, into the retracted position, results in withdrawing the batch support 29 from beneath the cans thereon and dropping the cans into the spaces between the dividers 49 onto the batch support 38 of the lower sliding platform which is in its extended or forward position. The cans 24 drop as a batch upon withdrawal of the upper platform 29, from between the cleats 23 to the lower platform 38 between the dividers 49. Due to the form of the side walls of the cleats 23 and the dividers 49 the cans are maintained in axially upright positions during the dropping movements, the vertical distance between the cleats and dividers being less than the height of a can.

Continued rotation of the cam shaft 17 moves the cams 35 to positions where the working faces in engagement with the rollers 34 force the upper sliding platform arms 30 to the right into the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby causing the rocker arm 42 to return to the position there shown and to retract the lower platform arms so that the can support 38 is in the solid line position. This retracting movement of the lower platform withdraws the support 38 from beneath the cans 24 which have been dropped thereon, and deposits the cans on the oven conveyor 37 in a row extending transversely across the conveyor. The cans are maintained in vertical positions between the dividers 49 as they drop to the oven conveyor.

As soon as a batch of cans has been dropped from the upper sliding platform to the lower platform, and from the lower platform to the oven conveyor by retracting the lower platform, the movement of the can conveyor 20 is resumed and the described cycle of operations is repeated, whereby additional rows of cans are placed on the oven conveyor.

In Fig. 7 is shown a modified construction of lower platform. The upper sliding platform comprising the support 29 and arms 30 with cam rollers 34 thereon is constructed as heretofore described. The lower platform differs from the lower sliding platforms 38, 39, previously described, in that the modified form includes a pivotally mounted can supporting member. The rocker arms 42 function as described, but their lower ends are pivotally connected to arms 52 which are connected pivotally to links 53 pivotally connected to a fixed support 54. On the lower ends of the links 53 is rigidly connected the batch supporting platform 55 which takes the place of the lower sliding platform 38 shown in Fig. 2.

When the rocker arms 42 are reciprocated by the earns 35 and springs 46, as previously described, retraction of the upper platform arms 30 and platform 29 causes the cans 24 to drop to the lower platform 55 (shown in dotted line position but slightly exaggerated as to inclination). Retraction of the lower platform into solid line position causes the cans to be deposited on the oven conveyor 37. i

In describing the invention, referencehas been made to particular examples embodying the same, but I wish it to be understood that the invention is not limited to the construction shown in the drawings and that various changes may be made in the construction and general arrangement of parts without departing from the invention.

I claim: V

l. A can handlingmachine for delivering cans in upright positions to a receiving conveyor in a plane below the bed of the machine, comprising a can supply conveyor, means intermittently moving said supply conveyor in a direction transverse to the travel of the receiving conveyor, a batch supporting upper platform adjacent the supply conveyor, a batch supporting lower platform between the upper platform and receiving conveyor, means pivotally connecting the platforms, and means simultaneously advancing one and retracting the other platform, the lower platform when advanced being in position to receive cans dropped from the upper platform when retracted.

2. A can handling machine for delivering cans in upright positionsto a receiving conveyor .in a plane below the bed of the machine, comprising a can supply conveyor, equally spaced cleats on the supply conveyor, means intermittently moving the supply conveyor, a batch supporting upper platform adjacent the supply conveyor and beneath the cleats thereon, a batch supporting lower platform between the upper platform and receiving conveyor, stationary can engaging means cooperating with the lower platform to receive cans in upright positions on the lower platform, and means simultaneously advancing one and retracting the other platform,

the lower platform when advanced being in position to receive cans dropped from the upper platform when retracted.

3. The can handling machine defined by claim 1, in which the means pivotally connecting the platforms comprises a fixed support, a rocker arm pivotally connected between its ends to said support and means pivotally connecting the rocker arm to the upper and lower platforms.

4. The can handling machine defined by claim 1, in which the means pivotally connecting the platforms comprises a pivotally mounted rocker arm pivotally connected at opposite ends to the upper and lower platforms, and in which the means simultaneously retracting one and advancing the other platform comprises a rotated cam engaging one of the platforms.

5. The can handling machine defined by claim 2, in which the supply conveyor cleats are spaced apart to receive a can between adjacent cleats, and the stationary can engaging means which cooperate with the lower platform to receive cans in upright positions comprises a plurality of dividers, the spaces between adjacent dividers registering vertically with the spaces between cleats when the supply conveyor is stationary.

6. The can handling machine defined by claim 2, in which the supply conveyor cleats are spaced apart to receive a can between adjacent cleats, and the stationary can engaging means which cooperate with the lower platform to receive cans in upright positions comprises a plurality of dividers, the spaces between adjacent dividers registering vertically with the spaces between cleats when the supply conveyor is stationary, said dividers being spaced vertically from the supply conveyor cleats a distance less than the height of a can.

7. A can handling machine for delivering cans in upright positions on a receiving conveyor in a plane below the bed of the machine, comprising a supply conveyor, means intermittently moving said conveyor in a direction transverse to the travel of the receiving conveyor, an upper reciprocating batch supporting platform adjacent the supply conveyor, an arm connected to the platform at right angles thereto, a rotated cam, a cam follower on the end of said arm, a lower reciprocating batch supporting platform between the upper platform and the receiving conveyor, an arm connected to the'lower platform at right angles thereto, a pivotally mounted rockerarm connected at one end to the upper platform arm and at the opposite end to the lower platform arm, a fixed support between said platform arms, a coiled spring connected at one end to the lower portion of the rocker arm and at the other end to said support, said cam and rocker 5 6 arm simultaneously retracting one and advancing the the lower and upper platforms and beneath said cleats other platform, the lower platform when advanced being in position to receive between the dividers cans dropped in position to receive cans dropped from the upper platin a batch from the upper to the lower platform. form when retracted.

8. The can handling machine defined by claim 7, in 5 f r n Cited in h l f i p e which the supply conveyor has fixed thereon a plurality UNITED STATES PATENTS of spaced cleats adapted to engage a can between adjacent cleats, and includes can dividers located between 1,874,669 Wagner Aug. 30, 1932 

